ZackBrennan in Fifty Situations
by Blood Red Kisses
Summary: I've started yet another Prompt challenge this time for my LJ community. This will consist of fifty prompts and dedicated to the lovely pairing of Zack/Brennan!
1. 14 Affection

'Ello, all! As I've said, been obsessed with this pairing for a while. I actually made an LJ community dedicated to them http ://community. livejournal .com/zack_brennan (Without the spaces. It wouldn't let me post the link any other way...)

GO CHECK IT OUT NOW!!!! I really need some members...I've posted all I have here on the comm and I will have a Zack/Brennan lemon out sometime (Assuming I EVER finish it....) that I'll only be posting there. (Don't think it'd be allowed here....) Enough of that, though.

I edited another prompt table this time for Zack/Brennan and I've been slowly but surely working on it. This one is Number Fourteen Affection. (By the way, I never write these things in order, so it'll be updated as inspiration vicously attacks me.) This is exactly 100 words.

Please enjoy! And as always, reviews are love!!!!

* * *

"Very good job, Zack" Brennan smiled at the young forensic anthropologist in training, grabbed the files off of the table, and went to find Booth to inform him Zack had discovered cause of death.

Zack grinned to himself. He loved pleasing his boss. Anything he could do to make her happy made him happy. He had stayed up all night staring at the bones, attempting to discern cause of death and he had finally discovered it.

It was his way of showing his affection for her.

And telling him he had done 'good' was her way of showing her affection.


	2. 16 Regret

Aww! Angst!Zack! POOR THING! ;-;

This is number Sixteen Regret! Again, 100 words exactly. I do have some slightly longer drabbles...Heh heh...They'll appear eventually!

Hope y'all enjoy! *Cough* And go check out that community! *Cough* (Yes, I'm _shamelessly_ pimping out my comm every chance I get...)

* * *

Zack stood in the bone room staring at the same spot on the skull for nearly twenty minutes. He glanced up every so often to see Doctor Brennan and Agent Booth arguing with each other about something or another.

He sighed remorsefully and set the skull down. It was no use trying to work today.

Glancing up at the two again, he could see just how in love they were. They had started dating two weeks ago and Zack secretly wished he was Agent Booth.

If only he had asked Doctor Brennan earlier.

Now all he could do was regret.


	3. 44 Young

Hey again! Okay, I have this one and "First Meeting" where their ages are before the actual season. Now I haveNO clue how old Zack was when he became Brennan's assistant. But it's said he graduated college at sixteen and that he joined the Jeffersonian shortly after, but he's also halfway through another doctorate, so I'd say it's safe to assume it's around this age. Plus, him being twenty made for some pretty cute lines.

So without further interruption, here's number Forty Four Young! (And this one's 150 words, so it's a bit longer.)

* * *

Temperance Brennan kept trailing her glances over to her newest intern, Zack Addy. She couldn't believe how young the boy was. He was only twenty years old, not even old enough to drink. But he was sitting, or rather standing, here in the Jeffersonian, cleaning bones as she spoke about the burn victim they were to identify. It was only the two of them in the rather large room.

"What do you suppose occurred, Doctor Brennan?"

"I'm not sure, Zack. It's not our job to speculate that sort of thing."

"I know, Doctor Brennan."

He was so formal when speaking to her. It wasn't normal for a boy his age. Twenty year olds should be partying and drinking illegally, not cleaning the bones of a burn victim.

"Zack, you're so young." She hadn't even realized she had made the observation aloud until his gaze met hers.

"I know, Doctor Brennan."


	4. 25 Flu

So this a little thing I thought of while I myself am sick...Being sick is so awful...

A few things to mention first. Brennan may seem a little out of character, but she's sick. Being sick makes people miserable and being miserable makes people not act as themselves...SO DEAL WITH IT! BWAHAHAHA!!! *Cough* ...Also, I have no clue if Brennan is vegan or not. I'm just going by the fact that Miss Deschanel is...And I feel I should note that I'm not vegan, so even though it's only minorly mentioned, I wanted to point that out in case there's something I got wrong....

And the though of Zack cooking just made me giggle. After all, they do say science was born in the kitchen! (Aaaaaand Zack makes such a cute little housewife! D'aww!!!)

Yesh....So this is 25 Flu! ENJOY!

* * *

Brennan sniffled and reached for another tissue before a violent coughing fit took over. She hated being sick. When she was sick, she couldn't go to work; she couldn't be comforted by the bones she held so dear to her.

She groaned when she heard her doorbell ring. Tossing her warm comforter off, she slipped off the makeshift bed she had created from the sofa and made her way to the door. She opened it and was a little shocked to see Zack standing there, four bags hanging off each arm.

"Hello, Doctor Brennan. I heard you were sick so I thought I might try to help you get better. The lab is quite dull without you there."

Brennan placed her hands over her mouth as another coughing fit attacked. "Thank you, Zack, but I really don't want to get you sick as well."

"It's no problem, Doctor Brennan. I don't normally catch whatever's going around, so I doubt you'll get me sick."

She nodded. "If you're certain." She stood aside for him to come in and then closed her door.

Zack looked around. Her apartment was dark; all the curtains had been closed tightly. Bowls littered her coffee table, some empty and some with a little bit of soup left in them. There were two cups on the table and three water bottles. The rest of her coffee table housed an array of pills.

"Sorry about the mess." He realized she had been watching him as he observed their surroundings and he blushed a little.

He shook his head. "You've been sick for three days; no need to apologize."

She plopped back down on the sofa, coughing once more.

"You rest, Doctor Brennan. I'll clean up. Do you mind if I use your stove? I brought the ingredients for my mother's homemade soup. It cures any illness." He smiled at her.

"Of course not, Zack. Just don't burn anything." She gave him a half grin before her throat set about its ritual of coughing every time she tried to speak.

He nodded weakly, a concerned expression gracing his features. "Can I get you anything for now?"

"Maybe some more tea. It's been helping so far."

"Of course." He grabbed one of the empty cups, eager to assist in her recovery. He bounded over to her kitchen, filled the cup with hot water, and proceeded to look for tea bags. Upon finding some, he set one in, swirling it around, and made his way back over to his mentor.

He gently handed her the cup. Picking up the bags, he made his way back into the kitchen, digging around for cooking utensils.

"Are you allergic to anything, Doctor Brennan?" he called from the kitchen.

"No, but I don't eat meat."

"I know, Doctor Brennan." Whether she had mentioned this at work sometime, or had just observed this for himself, he couldn't remember. But he did know she was vegan.

So he set about fixing up a soup that he hoped would make her feel better. Any time he or one of his siblings was sick, his mother would fix this very same soup. It had always made them feel better and he was sure it'd help Brennan.

He smiled to himself as he stirred the broth. He felt like such a housewife, fixing her soup and planning on cleaning up her apartment. But she was sick and he wanted to take care of her. It was the closest he'd ever get to really showing her how much she meant to him.

He spooned some of the soup into a bowl and headed back over to his mentor. Brennan sneezed three more times, reached for a tissue, and sneezed again. Zack sat on the edge of the sofa.

"Are you okay, Doctor Brennan?"

She nodded. "Sorry, Zack. I usually never get sick." Zack felt awful; Brennan looked miserable and there wasn't much he could do to make her illness go away. But the soup was as good a try as any. So he lifted the spoon from the bowl, gave it a second to cool a little, and held it close to Brennan's mouth.

"You're feeding me?" she half smirked.

"Yes. If you were to go into a sneezing or coughing fit while holding the bowl, you could burn yourself. This seemed the most logical course of action." And if Zack ever allowed himself to admit it, he had always wanted to do this.

She smiled at him. "Very well, then." And she opened her mouth.

The soup was nice and warm against her scratchy throat. "This is exceptional, Zack. I had never realized you could cook."

His ears turned reddish as he smiled. "My mother taught me."

He continued feeding her until the soup in the bowl was gone.

"You should rest now, Doctor Brennan." He smiled at her as she settled back onto the sofa. He was so pleased to be able to help her, even just a little.

He then set about cleaning her apartment. He grabbed bowls, cups, any sort of dishes and set them in the sink. He decided to wash the dishes first so when he was done with the rest of the apartment, the dishes would be dry and he could put them away.

Once done washing the dishes, he wandered around the apartment, fixing up anything he could. After a while, he went back and put the dishes up.

There was so much he wanted to do, but only so much he _could_ do. And eventually he ran out of things to do. He plopped down on one of her arm chairs and sighed.

What else could he do?

Brennan rolled over, coughing once more. Her comforter slipped down a little.

Zack smiled and pulled it back up.

He supposed it'd just be the little things from now on.

He'd help her get better, one bowl of soup at a time.


	5. 23 Brave

Hehe! A little shorter than the last one, but it's still cute...Loved the 'movie moment' part. It's kinda cheesy, but I thought it added a little comedy! ^-^

Prompt 23 Brave!

(And if anyone wants to, the prompt table is free for anyone! *CoughCoughHintHint*)

* * *

Zack sighed in shaky determination. He was absolutely terrified of what was about to happen, but he had to be brave! He had to face his fears.

He'd been in love with Brennan for some time now and he decided he should finally confess his feelings to her.

What was it Angela had said? "Fight for your woman"? Yes, that was it.

Booth was starting to swoop in and Zack couldn't let that happen. He had to fight for Brennan. He loved her, too; he had to make his feelings known to her. Angela had said that was the only way he'd stand a chance with Brennan.

So he had finally mustered up enough courage to tell her. He had no idea how she'd react.

They could have a total movie moment!

"Oh, Zack! I never knew you felt that way! I love you, too!"

'_Like that'd ever happen,' _Zack reasoned.

Or, Zack feared, she could tell him it'd never happen, and even possibly fire him. His affections could 'interfere with identifying bodies'.

Being a slight pessimist, Zack began to imagine all the things that could go wrong.

But he still had to do this.

He had to be brave.

After all, courage isn't the absence of fear.

It's doing something, despite fear.


	6. 40 Beautiful

A slightly more angsty addon to this nice little drabble table. Well, it's not _really_ angsty so much as...well....I dunno...Anyways...Just typed this out while waiting for class to start...Soooooooo....ENJOY!!!!

Prompt 40 Beautiful!

* * *

Zack stared in awe at his mentor. She wore a light blue dress, the collar of it wrapping around her neck, leaving her arms exposed. It flowed down to her ankles gracefully, her black heels just barely visible. Small dolphins dangled from her ears and she had just a touch of makeup on. Her hair was pulled back into a bun, but a few small strands had fallen down, curling around her face.

Zack opened his mouth to say something, but all he could do was stare at her beauty.

Booth walked by and grinned at her, giving Zack all the fuel he needed to complement her.

"You look beautiful, Doctor Brennan." He smiled sincerely at her.

"Thank you, Zack. You look quite charming yourself." Her smile was soft and sweet.

He nodded to her, gently placing one of the strands of hair behind her ear.

And even though she was dancing with Booth, Zack felt as though he had still won. He had complemented her, made her smile. He couldn't win her heart, but he could tell her how beautiful she was; he could make her smile.

And that was all that mattered.


	7. 42 Accident

I'm on a roll; an angst roll. Another prompt finished and this time it _is_ really sad. It involves character death...And a real angsty Zack....

Prompt 42 Accident

* * *

A boy who looked much too young to be working on two doctorates curled up on his sofa, pulling his blanket close to him. He still hadn't cried yet; he didn't know if he could. It had been a week since the accident, but he just couldn't let himself believe it was real.

He couldn't let himself believe she was gone.

He hadn't even gotten the chance to tell her how he felt. He thought he had plenty of time; he knew he'd tell her one day.

But just one week ago, she was taken from him. He'd no longer have the chance to tell her.

And not only that, but he'd never get to see her again.

Even if had decided against telling her, just seeing her face every day made him happy. He thrived off seeing her and hearing her voice.

And because of that fateful accident, he'd never hear her beautiful raspy voice anymore; he'd never see her brilliantly green eyes; he'd never see her smiling red lips.

He'd never see her again.

She was taken from him.

All because a murderer didn't want her to solve a case.


	8. 47 Lovers

Hello all! A new installment for my wonderful prompt table! This one's 47. Lovers. There's not really much of an explanation for how this happened. It's a little drabble, so yeah...

Uhmmm....Well, really all I can say right now is thanks to everyone who reviews! And you guys should go check out my comm! (Once more, I'm pimping it out.) But it really needs more attention...Soooo....GOOOOOO! YAY!

Anyways, I hope you like this! And as always, reviews are greatly appreciated!

* * *

Zack smiled as he trailed small circles on Brennan's back.

He couldn't believe that he was here, in her bedroom. He couldn't believe he had just slept with the woman he's loved since he first saw her. He just couldn't believe it.

But it was true.

He had finally confessed to her. He had finally told her how he felt. And she had accepted his feelings, something he had never thought possible. He had convinced himself she was going to turn him down, tell him he was sweet, but she didn't feel that for him. But she had smiled at him and asked him when he was going to ask her out.

He never thought something this amazing could happen to him. People hated him, resented his intelligence. He had resigned to a life alone. But Brennan had changed that.

She gave him hope.

He didn't have to be alone.

He could have someone to love.

And despite the odds, they had become lovers.


	9. 30 Lies

Yay! Another prompt complete!!! Hope y'all like this! It's hinted at Booth/Brennan, but nothing's specifically stated. I began this while listening to the song Behind Those Eyes by Three Doors Down. This just kinda popped outta nowhere and I ended up writing it. Thinking about it, though, it's pretty true....Anyways, Enjoy!!!

* * *

"Is everything okay, Doctor Brennan?"

"Of course, Zack." She gave him a smile.

But Zack knew it wasn't real.

_There's something I can't see_

_There's something different in the way you smile_

_Behind those eyes you lie_

"Are you certain? Is everything okay between you and Agent Booth?"

Brennan hesitated. "Yes, Zack, everything's fine."

_Behind those eyes you lie_

Zack nodded. "If you say so. But I'm here for you, Doctor Brennan." He smiled sadly.

Brennan considered telling him what was really on her mind. But something stopped her. Zack gave her one last glance before turning and leaving.

Lies…Lies were how people covered up their insecurities. Lies were how people convinced themselves they were happy.

Lies were what tore relationships apart.


	10. 39 Father

Hello, all! I have Prompt 27 Coffee done, but I can't post it here...It's being very difficult. I tried posting it, but it just cut off all the sentences, so I took it down. If anyone wants to read it, it's at my comm!

Anyways, this RANDOMLY popped into my brain! And the ending was NOT where I was originally going! I was describing their fathers and then it was going to be something about them being able to relate, but what came out was this, and I actually kinda like it...Oddly....So I kept it. There is NO explanation for this; I have no clue how this happened. But I do think it's sweet.

And I have no clue what Zack's father was like, so just go with this...I just wanted them both to have had crappy daddies, cause like I said, it was supposed to be them relating to one another's pain. But umm...I hope you do like this, no matter how random it is! (And short...200 words.)

* * *

Father.

Brennan's father had disappeared when she was fifteen. He had abandoned his children, leaving them to fend for themselves. He never once thought of the pain he caused them, the issues they'd have because of his selfish decision. He never thought of the toll it'd take on them, especially his daughter, his daughter who had thought the world of him.

He had never considered that his daughter might have trust issues.

Zack's father had always disapproved of him. He had thought 'men are supposed to play sports and get dirty, not sit in front books and microscopes'. He had always tried to get Zack to do more 'manly' activities and always berated him for his intellect. He also never thought of the consequence his actions could have on his child.

He never thought that not accepting his son for who he was could have dire effects on how he interacted with those around him.

But as the two sat there together, her on the bed, him in a chair, he vowed that he wouldn't be like either of their fathers. He'd love his child no matter what. Despite not understanding most human interaction, he'd be the best he could.


	11. 49 Outside

Hello, all! Sooooo...Here's an angst drabble! I wrote this while listening to Outside by Staind. Man, I love that song. I also love writing while listening to music. It helps me write. Heh...

I was debating on making this happier, but I think I like the way it turned out. Poor Zackie-baby! This is also 200 words, without trying! Yay! I love it when my drabbles are an exact amount of words! Makes me happeh!

So yesh...Prompt 49 Outside!

* * *

Zack stood outside Brennan's door, flowers in hand. He gulped, wondering if this was the right thing to do.

He had told Angela he was going to confess to Brennan and it was her idea to bring flowers. She had wished him luck and said she was rooting for him. He didn't quite understand what that meant, but he was thankful for her support.

Zack's hand hovered by the doorbell.

He sighed to himself, turning around and shaking his head.

"I have to do this. I have to tell her…"

He turned back around and noticed the curtains from the window were open. Curiosity overtook him and he peaked through.

His eyes widened and his heart fell at what he saw.

Booth was lying atop a half naked Brennan, his teeth attacking her throat. Her head was leaned back and her body rocked beneath him.

The flowers fell from Zack's grip and his gaze found the ground. He slowly turned to leave, a sad smile forming on his lips.

Who was he kidding? She loved Booth, not him. Booth was the alpha male, exactly what someone like her needed.

And Zack?

He would always be on the outside looking in.


	12. 18 Sensitivity

Okie dokie, everyone! This is a touch out of character, but I had a lot of fun writing it! I see Zack as the type to be UBER ticklish! And when I stared at the prompt word, this just slowly formed in my brain. This is how I react when people poke me...They say I sound like a puppy....So, yesh! Enjoy teh happiness!

Also, feel the need to point out that I just edited my comm so anyone can post! (Or it SHOULD be like that, anyways...) So you don't have to create an LJ account if you don't wanna! SHO NOW YOU HAVE NO EXCUUUUUSE!!! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Prompt 18 Sensitivity!

* * *

"Sweetie, poke Zack," Angela whispered into her best friend's ear.

"What? Why?"

"Just do it…Please?" Her puppy pout made Brennan smile. "And be sure to poke his side."

Brennan sighed and did as she was told, jabbing her finger against the side of Zack's body. The boy made an adorable 'yipping' noise as his entire form twitched away from Brennan's finger.

Everyone turned to stare at Zack.

His face flushed slightly and he ducked his head. "I'm quite sensitive…"

Angela giggled. "Nice phrasing, Zack. And just how _sensitive_ are you?"

He glanced at her, puzzlement etched into his features. "Phrasing…? I don't understand."

This only caused Angela to giggle more. "Hey, Sweetie, if he jumped liked that to just a simple poke, I wonder how he'd react to being tickled!"

Brennan cocked her head to the side, a small smile playing at her lips. "I would imagine quite violently."

"Let's see!" And with that, Angela was behind Zack, pinning his hands to the ground so he couldn't move. "Tickle him!"

"Why me?"

Angela smirked as Zack struggled to get away. "Because no one else is going to! And I'm holding him down!"

Sighing once again, Brennan gave in to her friend's request. She scooted over to Zack and began lightly running her fingers down his sides. His giggles came out strained and stifled as his body tried to sway away from her. She smiled softly at his reactions and decided to put more effort into tickling him.

His feet began kicking in all directions, trying to get her to stop. In retaliation, she decided to seat herself on top of his legs, pinning them down in the process.

"Wow, Zack, I hadn't ever realized just how sensitive you were," Brennan teased.

With one girl holding his arms and the other pinning his legs, Zack was helpless. He struggled as much as he could, bucking and twisting his body in an attempt to free himself.

"Lemme…" Giggle. "Go!"

Booth, Hodgins, and Cam just stared at the struggling boy, slightly pitying him, or in Booth's and Hodgins' cases, feeling a bit envious of him.

The girls continued tickling Zack until he managed to get his hands free. He grabbed both of Brennan's hands and rolled her over so he now sat on top of her. He then began his revenge of tickling her.

Booth and Hodgins both scoffed at Zack's attempts for revenge. There was no way this would work; Brennan wasn't ticklish.

But as Brennan began shrieking and twisting about, all they could do is gape.

Zack smirked at his writhing mentor. "And I hadn't realized just how sensitive you were, Doctor Brennan."

Angela beamed at the scene before her. _Mission accomplished._


	13. 28 Succeed

Hello, everyone! Sooo...I've been ADDICTED to Solitaire, recently...But I REALLY suck at it. So I thought it'd be fun to write a tribute to my suckiness. Zack, in reality, would probably be real good at Solitaire, but I want someone to suffer like I have been!! MWAHAHAHA!!! Hence this little drabble was born!

This is an established relationship, meaning the two are already together. Don't ask how; I don't know...I just know I thought it'd be cute! The ending kinda sucks...But I honestly had no idea how to end it...Oh well....

Hope you enjoy!!! Prompt 28 Succeed

* * *

"Zack, please go to sleep…" Temperance Brennan's sleepy mumble barely reached Zack's ears.

"I can't. Not yet." His eyes focused on the laptop screen.

She sighed loudly, hoping he'd catch the obvious irritation. "And why not?"

"Because I'm committed to this game. I will beat it."

Temperance rolled over so she could face Zack and peered up at the screen. He was hard at work on a game of Solitaire. The boy shuffled through the deck, pausing to check for possible moves.

"You're going to lose this one, too," she said matter-of-factly.

"No, I wo—" A small window popped up telling him there were no more possible moves. He glared at her. "How did you know that?"

"Because, Zack, this is a game that, yes, uses logic. But it also deals out random cards. And sometimes, there is nothing you can do in a round. Sometimes, you just get really awful cards. You may be doing good, and then, all of the sudden, you can't move anything else. And there's really nothing you can backtrack on to make it work."

Zack turned to look at his lover for the first time since she spoke. "But I cannot allow a simple game to defeat me. I've played eighty three rounds. I must succeed at least once."

"Can you not postpone winning? You're not giving up, just waiting."

He shook his head. "I won't be able to sleep. If you would like to sleep, I can move to the sofa. I don't want to distract you from your sleep…"

She gently wrapped her arms around him. "I wouldn't like that at all. I want you here." She sighed. "If you really need to win a round, I can wait until you do."

He smiled a 'thank you' before glaring at the screen. "I have all the cards revealed, but this six and eight in the main deck. If I move the six, there's nowhere for the eight. But there's nothing else I could possibly do."

"And this is exactly what I meant, Zack."

"I will succeed." He began a new game, determination in his eyes.

Temperance remained draped around Zack's shoulders, her eyes fighting to stay open.

Around four am, Zack smiled to himself. He had finally succeeded in his battle against Solitaire. He quietly closed the laptop, setting it on the table beside the bed. He then snuggled down into the comforter so he and Temperance were lying down.

"Congratulations…Zack…" she mumbled sleepily.

He grinned, kissed her cheek, and wrapped his arms around her. It wouldn't be much, but he could finally get some rest.


	14. 22 Taste

Just posted this at the comm! And as I said there, I'M NOT DEAAAAD!! ^w^

Being end of the semester, I've had a LOT to do these past few weeks...Right after Thanksgiving, all my professors decided to give us all every project, assignment, etc, PLUS finals...I about died...AND I pulled my FIRST all-nighter! IT SUCKED!

So, yesh...about the drabble here...Well, I've been wanting to post something at my comm for the past week or so...(I MISSED IIIIIT!!! ;A;) and as I stared at the table...THIS popped into my brain...They're a little OOC, but it really is hard to write them as a happy couple...Yes, this is another already established relationship. I hope y'all enjoy it and if your heart so compels you, reviews are most definitely loved!!

* * *

Temperance Brennan stirred the deep brown mix diligently as Zack watched.

"You put the eggs in, correct, Doctor Brennan?"

"Yes, Zack. For the third time, I put the eggs in," she sighed. Temperance had never been much of a cook. She could make basic foods for her own survival, but never anything like this.

She had never tackled the task of making brownies.

But Zack had decided he'd teach her. Well, it was more like he brought in Christmas brownies and she had asked him to teach her how to make them. And of course, he couldn't say no to his lover.

She smiled and began pouring the mix into a pan. "I put them in for thirty minutes, correct?"

"Yes." He nodded, chuckling at her attempt to get all the mix into the pan. "It's okay if not all of it is in there. Plus," he stuck his finger into the bowl and licked it, "it's fun to eat the leftovers."

"Is it?" She grinned, leaning down quickly to lick any leftover chocolate from his finger. Zack blushed lightly.

"Umm, shall we go ahead and place the pan in the oven?"

She nodded and carefully put the tin pan into the oven. She put the timer to thirty minutes and turned to face Zack. A huge grin tugged at her lips as she saw him, spoon in hand, attacking the leftover brownie mix.

"My mother always let me lick the bowl when she was finished," he explained as light pink slowly returned to his cheeks.

She gave him a small nod before grabbing the spoon from him. "Is this even healthy?" she asked before licking the spoon.

"Eating raw eggs as well as what's in the mix itself is most definitely not the most healthy thing one could consume, but speaking from a childhood nostalgic perspective, it's the most delicious thing I've ever tasted."

"It certainly does taste good. I remember eating the mix as a small child, but it's been a long time since then."

"I'm glad you enjoy this, though." He smiled at her.

They continued to share the leftover mix until the oven alarm gave its signal that the brownies were done.

Temperance took them out and set them on the counter before closing the oven and turning it off.

"I hope they taste as good as the mix."

"They smell good, so they should be fine."

After a few minutes of cooling, Temperance cut out a piece and handed it to Zack. He took a small bite and honestly…

He had to fight the urge to gag. He force-swallowed the thing and glanced at his lover. She waited patiently for his response, a small hopeful gleam in her eyes.

"So, how it?"

Zack was at a loss as to what to say. He couldn't tell her it was the most wretched, vile thing he ever allowed touch his taste buds. But he couldn't lie and tell her they were amazing either…

_What if she made them again?!?!?_

"They're umm…" he searched for the sweetest things he could say to ease the pain of honesty. He then kissed her, swirling his tongue with hers. "Nothing tastes near as good as you."

"They're awful, aren't they?"

He winced, nodding cautiously. "Yes…"

Though 'awful' was as far as he allowed his brain to think, honestly, 'awful' didn't even begin to describe the taste.

Trying to lighten up the situation, he grinned at her. "I told you you forgot the eggs."

"Oh hush!" She sounded offended, but her grin betrayed her.

They definitely wouldn't be taking this batch into work tomorrow.


End file.
